What the papers say

The Sun reports that Chelsea are seeking contract extensions for midfielder Enzo Fernandez and winger Mykhailo Mudryk. The two 23-year-olds’ previous long-term deals would be extended by another year.

The Daily Mail reports that Liverpool are considering Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson as a potential replacement for Caoimhin Kelleher.

According to the Telegraph, ex-Chelsea and Everton boss Frank Lampard has dropped out of the running to become the new head coach of Canada’s national team.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Tosin Adarabioyo: Tottenham have made an offer to the Fulham defender, says Teamtalk, as they try to beat Manchester United in the race to sign the 26-year-old.

Viktor Gyokeres: Manchester United are keen on the Sweden striker from Sporting Lisbon but fear Liverpool may scupper their signing chances, reports HITC.

Djed Spence: Tottenham’s 23-year-old right-back is one of several senior players expected to leave the club this summer, claims Football Insider.

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association following his side’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Tempers flared after referee Darren England awarded a penalty to the Blues in the 40th minute for Lorenz Assignon’s foul on Mykhailo Mudryk. The Burnley defender was also shown a second yellow card, forcing the Clarets to play the second half with 10 men.

Kompany was sent off for protesting on the touchline and afterwards expressed his opinion that officials have not been good enough throughout the season.

“I’ll keep saying what I think,” Kompany said.

“I’m not shying away from it and I’ve said it to the referees themselves, the officials, refereeing hasn’t been good enough this season.

“And I have said that in, I think, a constructive way, understanding as well the fact it’s not easy for them. The scrutiny is massive, the pressure is bigger than it’s ever been on the officials.

“I think the addition of VAR and more opinions and more officials doesn’t make it easy for them to do their jobs.

“I haven’t got any issues with being fined. I just want it to be right.”

The FA announced on Wednesday that the Burnley boss has been charged with improper conduct.

A statement read: “It is alleged that the manager’s language and/or behaviour around the 40th minute was improper and/or abusive and/or insulting towards a match official and/or questioned their integrity.”

Kompany has until 6pm on Friday, April 5 to respond to the charge.

Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw by Burnley at Stamford Bridge as Vincent Kompany’s side twice came from behind with 10 men to frustrate the hosts.

At five league games it became Chelsea’s longest unbeaten run in the league in almost 18 months, but there was little good cheer directed towards Mauricio Pochettino and his players by fans at the final whistle, after they saw Dara O’Shea snatch a point for Burnley late on.

Cole Palmer had earlier scored twice, the first a penalty after defender Lorenz Assignon had been dismissed for fouling Mykhailo Mudryk, then making it 2-1 after being set up by a delightful flick from the under-fire Raheem Sterling.

In between, Josh Cullen volleyed Burnley level against the run of play early in the second half, as their top-flight survival bid received an unlikely boost.

The first opportunity had been Burnley’s. A long ball up from halfway drifted over the head of Benoit Badiashile and was lashed across goal and wide by Jacob Bruun Larsen.

Next to go close was Enzo Fernandez. His shot from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection towards the top corner, before being brilliantly turned onto the crossbar and behind by Arijanet Muric.

It was a bright Chelsea opening, Palmer and Conor Gallagher readily a threat when linking up whilst Mudryk, fresh from scoring the goal that sent Ukraine to Euro 2024, showed speed and tricky footwork rampaging down the left.

Yet Burnley were not blunt. Wilson Odobert drew a fine, flying save from goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, finding space to fire from range after stepping inside Malo Gusto, who allowed him past too easily.

Nicolas Jackson too might have done better when he raced on to Palmer’s incisive through-ball, danced round two defenders and aimed for the corner, again though Muric saved.

Axel Disasi thought he had given Chelsea the lead midway through the first half, turning the ball in at the far post from Mudryk’s cross, only for VAR to rule it had gone in off the defender’s arm.

Mudryk fired straight at Muric after being teed up by Jackson jinking in off the right, as Chelsea’s shot count rose to 12 inside the opening 35 minutes.

The sense that Burnley were clinging on grew, and shortly before half-time their task was made exponentially harder.

Assignon initially looked to have Mudryk under control as the pair raced to reach the ball in the left channel. Mudryk stepped across him, and Assignon heaved him away and to the ground with a raised arm at neck height.

In the chaos that followed, the defender was shown a second yellow card, the fulminating Kompany too saw red, leaving Burnley a man down and with their manager banished from the touchline. With his impudent penalty, Palmer added insult to injury to give Chelsea the lead.

It was richly deserved, and so Burnley’s equaliser immediately after the break stunned the home crowd. Cullen played a one-two with Josh Brownhill 25 yards out, receiving it back and crashing an instinctive volley beyond Petrovic with the second half barely two minutes old.

The visitors would have been ahead had Petrovic not saved brilliantly one-handed from Odobert’s close-range header, then at the other end Muric was again Burnley’s saviour, beating away Jackson’s low first-time drive.

Home fans were contemplating another frustrating result when Sterling, on for Moises Caicedo, diverted the ball beautifully into the feet of Palmer with a devilish flick, and Chelsea’s top scorer crashed it into the bottom corner to restore the lead.

It lasted under three minutes. At once Burnley were up the other end winning a corner, and from it nobody in blue followed O’Shea as he ran across four defenders and headed the ball through Petrovic’s fumbled grasp to level.

Sterling should have won it when he burst onto Palmer’s far-post cross but inexplicably nodded wide, before Jay Rodriguez headed against the crossbar in the 88th minute as Burnley threatened the improbable.

Mauricio Pochettino warned there will be more problems for Chelsea if they fail to build on their 3-2 victory over Newcastle at Stamford Bridge as he praised the impact of match-winning substitute Mykhailo Mudryk.

The Ukrainian came off the bench to score with a superb individual goal to make it 3-1 in the 76th minute, pelting on to the ball at full tilt before tricking his way beyond a dumbfounded Fabian Schar and nipping round Martin Dubravka to finish.

“It was a very good goal and that is what we expect from a player from the bench – impact,” said Pochettino. “Then it is about competing with different players in his position. Then he will deserve to (start).”

The goal helped settle a finely balanced game, the kind that has so often slipped away from Chelsea under Pochettino.

They had already allowed an advantage to get away from them on the stroke of half-time.

Leading 1-0, Chelsea made two errors to hand Newcastle a way back into the match. First, the otherwise impressive Malo Gusto was caught trying to juggle the ball in midfield, then Trevoh Chalobah rushed up from central defence to assist and left a gaping hole into which Alexander Isak darted and rifled the visitors level.

Earlier, Nicolas Jackson had given his team a deserved sixth-minute lead, applying the deftest touch with his heel to Cole Palmer’s strike, getting just enough contact to divert it out of the reach of Dubravka and into the bottom corner.

Palmer, brilliant again on the right of a forward three, scored a 13th goal of his debut Chelsea season early in the second half.

Enzo Fernandez spotted the Blues’ top-scorer in space and gave the ball to him with his back to goal. With his first touch Palmer turned and with his second he lashed a shot inside the near post for 2-1.

Then came Mudryk’s decisive moment of magic and, although Jacob Ramsey gave Chelsea a scare with a cracking late drive from range, Pochettino’s young side clung on.

“We need to understand that we are Chelsea,” said Pochettino. “We are in a project that is completely different (to the past). Some people might be confused. When people don’t want to listen, it’s difficult.

“But we are trying to explain we are a different Chelsea, we are building something different. It’s going to be tough.

“We need to keep believing, even when it’s tough circumstances. We played (the Carabao Cup) final, 120 minutes, then after three days we play the FA Cup and we play Brentford. In six days we played three very tough games, nearly with the same team.

“It was really tough. If that means we are a disaster, OK. The most important thing is it’s not affecting the team. They know what they need to do and we keep believing.

“The win today is important for our fans to be a little bit more calm. But I think if we don’t win our next game, it’s going to be again a problem. That is Chelsea.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe reflected on a match that had been there for the taking before Mudryk’s late strike.

“I thought it was a game in the balance and an open game,” he said. “The game got away from us with the goals we conceded which were really poor from our perspective – they were self-induced.

“Wherever you play you have to pride yourself on being tight and I don’t think Chelsea had an abundance of chances tonight.

“But the way the goals came from our perspective is hugely frustrating as we know the details have to get better.”

Mauricio Pochettino hailed a “needed” victory as Chelsea bounced back from Sunday’s Carabao Cup final extra-time heartbreak to edge past Leeds and reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Conor Gallagher, who missed two glorious chances in the closing stages of normal time in the Wembley loss to Liverpool, came off the bench to hit the winner at Stamford Bridge as the Championship side were dispatched 3-2 to set up a last-eight meeting with Leicester.

Axel Disasi and Moises Caicedo combined to gift Mateo Joseph an eighth-minute opener but the Blues turned it around before half-time as Nicolas Jackson equalised and Raheem Sterling set up Mykhailo Mudryk to make it 2-1.

Leeds levelled just before the hour mark when Joseph headed home his second but Enzo Fernandez set up Gallagher to avoid extra-time and put Chelsea through.

“We needed this result,” said Pochettino. “It wasn’t a great performance. (Leeds) were a team full of confidence, a very strong team, they are doing fantastic in the Championship.

“It was tough for us, when you concede after a few minutes. But the character we showed after in this situation, it’s a thing to learn from the team. I’m so happy. We avoided extra-time. We’re in the quarter-final which was our objective.

“It’s always tough when you lose a final in extra-time. We had 72 hours or less to recover, it’s always difficult. The effort was massive and I say thank you to the players because they made a fantastic effort.”

Pochettino reiterated his rejection of Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville’s jibe that Chelsea had “bottled” the Carabao Cup final against a Liverpool side bested by injuries.

“I cannot be angry about (Neville),” he said. “With all my love to Gary, it’s not fair to use this type of word for a team that is so brave, a club that always fights for big things.

“What can we do? Only with this type of performance show that we are brave and that we can win games. Nothing to say, only to keep moving.

“It’s not important for us. Because we know how we are and who we are, and how we behave. We know why we lost the game against Liverpool. It’s nothing to do with this.

“We know that we are brave and that we are working really hard, For us, it’s not an important comment.”

Leeds boss Daniel Farke reflected on a game that slipped away at the hands of clinical finishing from Chelsea.

“That second goal (from Mudryk), class finish,” he said. “The third goal, really good action of Gallagher.

“I’m disappointed because wherever we go, we want to win. I know it’s not realistic we will win the FA Cup, but I wanted to win this and go in the next round. We are a young side, without several key players.”

Chelsea survived an FA Cup scare as Conor Gallagher came off the bench to score a last-minute winner and seal a 3-2 victory over Leeds at Stamford Bridge.

The substitute lashed the ball past the visitors’ goalkeeper Illan Meslier to grab what had looked an unlikely victory for much of the game, never more so than when the Blues fell behind inside eight minutes to the first of two goals from Mateo Joseph.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side rallied and looked to have put their woeful start behind them when first Nicolas Jackson and then Mykhailo Mudryk netted to send them in 2-1 up at the break.

Leeds would not lie down easy though, and Joseph headed them level after evading Trevoh Chalobah at the far post on the hour mark.

The home support bubbled with disquiet, sensing another cup mishap after Sunday’s Carabao Cup final loss to Liverpool.

Then came Gallagher’s late intervention to keep hopes of a Wembley return in May alive.

The opening 10 minutes were dominated by Leeds. They might have taken the lead when Daniel James found space on the edge of the box and acrobatically lobbed an effort wide.

It was a let-off for Chelsea, but they did not heed their good fortune. From the goal-kick, Axel Disasi played a short pass inside the penalty area that left Moises Caicedo vulnerable. Leeds snapped at his heels, dispossessing him, and the ball broke to Joseph, who cracked it past Robert Sanchez as Chelsea’s defence pointed fingers.

The first mutterings of discontent among the home support started, but they were doused before they had time to take hold. Caicedo made partial amends for his earlier error, sliding a precise ball through that split Leeds’ defence. Into the space strode Jackson, and he placed it into Meslier’s bottom corner to ease Chelsea nerves.

Thereafter they settled, and deservedly took the lead after 37 minutes. Noni Madueke carried the ball up through midfield and poked it to Malo Gusto wide on the right. He fed Raheem Sterling, who crossed for Mudryk to cap the move with a delightful finish, glancing it with a deft right foot wide of the goalkeeper and in.

James skied one over the bar from six yards as Leeds threatened an instant reply. Jaidon Anthony went closer when he curled wide from outside the box, a reminder that a stiff challenge might await Chelsea in the second half.

Daniel Farke’s team had won nine in a row in the league. Here they went up against Premier League opponents with the courage and skill to suggest they would fare well should they return to the top flight, but their hosts were giving ample encouragement.

The equaliser was straight forward and entirely avoidable from Chelsea’s point of view. Anthony was given space on the right to assess options and size up a cross. Stealing away at the far post was Jospeh, and his marker Chalobah paid him little heed as he stepped outside the defender and nodded past an exposed Sanchez.

The murmurs of disapproval began again from the stands, though they were largely drowned out by the away fans’ vocal support. They deserved better than the heartbreak that came as the clock ticked over to 90 minutes.

Enzo Fernandez was the architect of the winner, darting infield and through the heart of the defence and finally finding the pass that Chelsea had craved throughout the half. Gallagher, with fresh legs from the bench, let the ball run across him and with a swing of his right boot lashed Chelsea into the quarter-finals.

Mykhailo Mudryk is "the most talented and unique player in the world", and patient work on the training ground will see Chelsea get the best out of the winger.

That is the view of Serhiy Palkin, Shakhtar Donetsk's chief executive who struck the £89million deal which took Mudryk from Ukraine to Stamford Bridge last January.

Like many of the big-money recruits of the Todd Boehly era, Mudryk has struggled for consistency since arriving in west London, after emerging as one of Europe's hottest prospects at Shakhtar.

Between the start of 2021-22 and his move to the Premier League, Mudryk averaged a goal involvement every 70 minutes in the Ukrainian top flight, scoring nine goals and adding 13 assists in just 23 appearances during that spell.

However, Mudryk has just three goals and four assists to his name in 34 Premier League appearances, and he attracted more criticism for an ineffective substitute appearance in Sunday's EFL Cup final defeat to Liverpool.

Palkin, however, remains convinced of the 23-year-old's talent and feels he simply needs close attention from Mauricio Pochettino and his backroom staff. 

"I can tell you that for me, Mudryk is the most talented and unique player in the world," Palkin told Stats Perform.

"I believe that in order to get from Mudryk the maximum, as they anticipate, you need to invest in him. These investments are not money. 

"It's time for the coaching staff to communicate with him and to work closely with him. He is a young boy, he changed from the Ukrainian Championship to the Premier League. 

"It's a completely different world, with completely different levels, completely different football. 

"Therefore, I believe that if the coaching staff dedicates him some time, he will return three, four, or five times more."

One former Shakhtar man who made a far more immediate impact in the Premier League is Roberto De Zerbi, who led Brighton and Hove Albion to Europa League qualification last term while implementing a daring style of play. 

The Seagulls are in the hunt for European qualification again this season, and they rank second in the Premier League for average passes per sequence (5.01), third for build-up attacks (127) and joint-first for high turnovers resulting in goals (seven).

After overseeing Brighton's dramatic rise, De Zerbi has been tipped to move on to pastures new, with both Barcelona and Liverpool suggested as possible landing spots for the Italian.

Palkin has no doubt De Zerbi is destined for the top, saying: "I can tell you that he did a lot for Brighton, he did brilliant work for Brighton. 

"I believe 100 per cent that he can jump into a top club tomorrow, even today, 100 per cent. The most important thing is he must accept the proposition.

"I believe he has a lot of propositions, including in Italian football and English football. Therefore, everything, everything, everything depends on him."

Noni Madueke believes Chelsea have finally found answers to the goalscoring problems that plagued them last season.

The England Under-21 international came off the bench to fire Mauricio Pochettino’s side to a 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, slotting the winner from the penalty spot in the 89th minute after being fouled by Eberechi Eze.

Earlier Michael Olise, who nearly became a Chelsea player in the summer, had equalised on the stroke of half-time after the hosts had failed to build on Mykhailo Mudryk’s 13th-minute opener.

There were chances for Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson and Ian Maatsen on his first start to add to the hosts’ tally but a combination of wayward finishing and Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson kept Roy Hodgson’s side in it, until Madueke’s late intervention.

Chelsea netted only 38 Premier League goals last campaign, their lowest in the league in almost a century, but already have 31 at the halfway stage this time around.

They have been boosted by the return to fitness of last season’s Bundesliga top-scorer Christopher Nkunku who made a full debut against Palace and was a threat at number 10.

And Madueke feels confident that a corner has been turned.

“We play good football and are scoring goals now,” said the 21-year-old. “I remember last season we weren’t scoring those goals.

“We’re probably conceding a few too many, but I just feel it’s that consistency we need to get down. Once we do, we’ll be a really good team.

“We’ve had some very good performances this season where we haven’t got the rub of the green. It’s a process and where we are now will not define us come the end of the season.”

It was Chelsea’s third league win in a row at home and their fourth in all competitions, though that run has been cut with a streak of four consecutive away losses.

It is their longest sequence of victories at Stamford Bridge since October 2022 and saw them climb back into the top half of the table.

“(This) was a must-win game,” said Madueke. “There have been similar games in the season that we should have won and haven’t quite got the rub of the green, so I’m happy we’ve done the business and got the three points.”

Madueke also reflected on his impact from the bench having been handed just his eighth league appearance or the season, of which only one has been from the start.

He added: “It’s been a stop-start campaign for me. I’ve had little niggles, little injuries, things that haven’t quite gone my way.

“I’m happy to have an impact off the bench (against Palace) and whether I start the next game or have the same impact off the bench is up to the manager.”

Chelsea needed an 89th-minute penalty from substitute Noni Madueke to edge past Crystal Palace 2-1 at Stamford Bridge and climb back into the top half of the Premier League table.

It had looked like being another frustrating home outing for Mauricio Pochettino’s side for most of the second half, after Michael Olise had cancelled out Mykhailo Mudryk’s early goal with a brilliant finish on the half-volley on the stroke of half-time.

Nicolas Jackson missed a superb chance to win it, slotting the ball wide after being set up by Conor Gallagher.

But with the game drifting towards what would have been a deserved point for Palace, there was a final twist, Eberechi Eze tripped Madueke as he sought to control the ball on the edge of the box, and the England Under-21 international won the match from the spot with his first league goal of the season.

Chelsea opened the scoring after 13 minutes, and it began with Malo Gusto slipping his man in midfield with a smart shimmy and turn.

Driving over halfway, his pass forward was wayward, but interest in Chelsea’s attack was revived by a critical slip by Nathaniel Clyne whose stumble let the ball run on. That allowed it to reach Christopher Nkunku, who fed the galloping Malo Gusto on the overlap and his centre was gratefully turned home first time by Mudryk.

The Ukraine international had made an electric start and would have made it two shortly afterwards but for a smothering block by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, closing the angle well after Mudryk had been slipped in by a deft Jackson back heel.

There was a fluency about Chelsea that has rarely been seen in recent weeks. Nkunku on his long-awaited first start was at the heart of things. Fresh from his role in the opening goal, he played a wonderful ball in for Jackson, whose low drive was aimed fractionally wide of Henderson’s far post.

The France international might then have had his first Stamford Bridge goal after 25 minutes had he not kicked the turf when clean through on goal, under pressure from defender Chris Richards.

Chelsea were industrious with the ball, racking up 323 passes during the first half and recording 63 per cent possession and – unlike so often this campaign – they had created gilt-edged chances to go with it.

And yet, in the final seconds of the half, a familiar sinking feeling for home supporters. Richards went in strong on Levi Colwill to win the ball in midfield and it broke out wide to Jordan Ayew.

Palace had men in the box and the one picked out by Ayew’s laser-like aim was Olise, who brought it down confidently on his chest, took a momentary glance at Djordje Petrovic and lashed it inside the Chelsea goalkeeper’s near post to make it 1-1.

Palace were without a win in seven games but the goal, though against the run of play, brought belief.

Eze whistled a free–kick past the post as the visitors registered the first chance of the second half, as Roy Hodgson’s side went toe-to-toe with their hosts.

Pochettino left Thiago Silva on the bench for only the second time in the league this season, but called on the 39-year-old just before the hour mark, alongside Romeo Lavia, who finally made his Chelsea debut.

Armando Broja was also sent on as the spectre of another disappointing home result loomed.

Minutes later, their moment looked to have arrived. Moises Caicedo scooped a pass forward to Gallagher who had found space centrally and the captain showed a keen awareness of space to find Jackson running through, but – with only Anderson to beat – he clipped the ball agonisingly wide.

That was followed by a fine, prodded finish from Axel Disasi’s pass that VAR rightly ruled out for offside.

Broja took one down and well drilled into the side netting, after Olise had drawn a smart near-post stop from Petrovic at the other end.

Chelsea thought two more points had slipped away at home. Then with two minutes to go, Madueke went over Eze’s leg, a VAR review yielded a penalty and the substitute picked himself up knock home the winning goal.

Armando Broja believes Chelsea dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup shows the strong bond the new-look team are building.

Broja revealed he was set to be Chelsea’s fifth penalty taker, but he was not called upon as Djordje Petrovic’s save from Matt Ritchie’s spot-kick sent Mauricio Pochettino’s men into the semi-finals.

Mykhailo Mudryk capitalised on Kieran Trippier’s mistake to equalise for the Blues in added time, cancelling out Callum Wilson’s opener, before the hosts held their nerve in the shoot-out.

Striker Broja said: “I was (going to take the fifth penalty) and I was quite excited actually.

“But Petrovic put on an unbelievable display, so it didn’t quite get to me.”

Tenth-placed Chelsea head to Wolves in the Premier League on Christmas Eve, with Tuesday night’s win offering a welcome boost after a difficult first half of the season under Pochettino.

And Albanian international Broja feels the manner of the victory is evidence of the character of the side.

“Games like this show our spirit and the bond where we dug deep,” he said.

“We got the equaliser even though it was in the 92nd minute and we got to penalties.

“We’re a new team, with a new manager and everyone’s trying to gel together.

“It’s not going to be easy straightaway because we have a whole bunch of new players, so we need to get that rhythm and get that bond together. It’s not going to happen overnight and people need to understand that.

“We keep playing for the badge.”

Victory in the Carabao Cup would give Chelsea their first piece of silverware since they lifted the Club World Cup in February last year.

Broja added: “This is a chance for us to win and trophy and we want to win a trophy, that’s what this trophy is all about.”

Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea are a “healthy group” after watching them edge beyond Newcastle on penalties at Stamford Bridge to book a place in the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Newcastle looked to have done enough to progress after holding Chelsea at arm’s length for much of the game following Callum’s Wilson’s first-half strike.

Then at the death, Mykhailo Mudryk appeared inside the box to nick the ball away from Kieran Trippier, clipping a finish inside the far post to rescue Pochettino’s side.

Chelsea were on target with all four spot-kicks as Trippier again was culpable for Newcastle, failing to hit the target before Matt Ritchie saw his effort saved by goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

Earlier, Wilson had given Newcastle a deserved lead, taking advantage of a calamitous mix-up between Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile and racing clear to score on the counter.

“To concede the way we conceded, when we didn’t deserve to, it can affect any team,” said the manager.

“But we reacted really well, dominated the game against a good team like Newcastle, kept pushing in the second half, made some changes and tried to provide the team some impact.

“The most important (thing) in football is to believe to the end. We kept believing. We know penalties are a lottery, but of course talent and quality (matter). Our objective before the game was to go through and now we’re in the semi-final.

“When you see the whole squad, players that weren’t involved or were injured, they wanted to share their happiness in the middle of the pitch. We’re a healthy group of players, but they need time. We create the platform for them to improve every day. We’re going to build a very good team that can compete.”

Pochettino gave a long-awaited debut from the bench to summer signing Christopher Nkunku after injury with 20 minutes to go, in place of the willing but largely ineffective Nicolas Jackson.

The manager reiterated the need not to lump too much expectation too soon on the 26-year-old’s shoulders after a lengthy spell out.

“We’re talking about players that are young, or who have arrived and suffered an injury, like Christopher,” he said. “They need game time to start to perform and to get their best form. Everyone can judge.

“The expectation is to see the best of Nkunku, but we need time for him to perform the way we expect. It’s one thing to be available, it’s another to perform in the way we expect.”

Pochettino confirmed Enzo Fernandez had been withdrawn in the first half suffering from stomach sickness while Levi Colwill, taken off at the break, was tired but not injured.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe reflected on a missed opportunity for his team to reach the Carabao Cup last four for the second straight season.

“A tough ending to the game,” he said. “It was a really good away performance until the last moments. I didn’t see a goal coming at that stage.

“It’s just one of those things that can happen in a football match. We covered space well, limited them to half-chances. There are a lot of positives to take but we don’t feel that right now.”

Chelsea booked their passage to the semi-final of the Carabao Cup on penalties after Mykhailo Mudryk’s stoppage-time equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

Mudryk slotted home after a mistake from Kieran Trippier just as Eddie Howe’s side looked to have done enough to ease past the hosts, who struggled to create for much of the game.

Earlier, Callum Wilson had given the visitors a first-half lead on the counter-attack.

But as the game went to spot-kicks, Trippier again was culpable, firing wide from 12 yards before Matt Ritchie saw the critical kick saved by goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic to see Chelsea through.

Chelsea fell to a third home defeat of the season as Brentford maintained their 100% winning record at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League with a deserved 2-0 victory.

Ethan Pinnock took advantage of non-existent marking to head the visitors in front shortly before the half-hour mark after Mauricio Pochettino’s side had failed to take advantage of a first half in which they dominated.

Thereafter there was little genuine attacking threat nor hope of salvation, as the hosts took a worrying backwards step towards the goal-shy, hesitant play that characterised the manager’s early games.

Robert Sanchez was embarrassed in added time after joining his team’s attack for a corner, failing to catch Neal Maupay in a foot race as he broke with the ball, allowing Bryan Mbeumo to score in an empty net to compound home fans’ woes.

Chelsea’s dire form at Stamford Bridge now stands at one win in their last 13 games in the league, with August’s victory over Luton their only success here in seven months.

They were without Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk, key components in their recent uptick in form, with neither player risked after picking up knocks in training on Friday.

In place of Mudryk came Noni Madueke, in for his first start under Pochettino, and he wasted little time in staking a case to his manager, standing up Vitaly Janelt on the right of the penalty area and opening his body to unleash a wicked, bending effort that thumped the crossbar.

It was a busy start from Chelsea. Conor Gallagher, captain again with Reece James fit only for the bench, stung the palms of Mark Flekken when he shot low at goal from 30 yards.

Marc Cucurella found space from a wonderful ball into the box from Cole Palmer, but the defender could summon neither power not placement with his right foot.

Raheem Sterling looked in electric mood. His dazzling burst through the middle saw the ball break to Madueke, who shepherded it inside for Palmer to return for Sterling who had continued his run. The move deserved a goal; instead the England forward ballooned his shot into the Matthew Harding Stand.

As the half wore on Chelsea became increasingly camped in the visitors’ half, shifting focus from probing for the critical pass in central positions in favour of balls down the channels, where Madueke and Sterling would not allow Brentford peace.

But there was a feeling of old habits creeping into Chelsea’s play, with the creative fluency of recent weeks not so forthcoming. The period ended with Pochettino remonstrating with a fan who questioned Nicolas Jackson’s lack of involvement, the manager of a mind that only supportive voices were welcome, but doubtless aware privately of his team’s shortcomings.

There was almost a goal within minutes of the restart, Janelt left to rue profligate finishing after he was left free 12 yards out but fired straight at Sanchez. It was a stark warning, but one Chelsea’s defence would not heed.

On 58 minutes, their generous marking struck again and this time Pinnock readily accepted the gift.

It was a smart link-up between Kristoffer Ajer and Mbeumo from a throw-in on the right that began the move, with Mbeumo given space to run the ball to the byline and hoist a cross. The delivery hung high in the air, finally dropping into the six yard box where Axel Disasi did little more than observe as Pinnock powered beyond him and beat Thiago Silva to the ball to thump his header home.

The shock jolted Chelsea from whatever rhythm they had inherited from the first half. Still they hogged the ball, but rarely was Flekken tested as they toiled in vain for an equaliser.

Substitute Yehor Yarmolyuk should have made it 2-0 on the break in the final minutes, he was denied point-blank by Sanchez, before Mbeumo lashed millimetres wide of the post.

Pochettino’s assistant Jesus Perez was sent off with frustrations between the two benches boiling over, and it got even worse for the home side with Mbeumo’s tap-in and the end of Chelsea’s mini-revival.

Mikel Arteta praised a “phenomenal” response from Arsenal after they fought back from two goals down in the final 13 minutes to earn a 2-2 draw at Chelsea and move level on points at the top of the Premier League.

Chelsea looked to be sending Arsenal to a first league defeat of the season when Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross-shot put them into a 2-0 lead minutes after half-time, the Ukrainian’s effort drifting over goalkeeper David Raya who was unable to recover from a poor starting position as the ball dropped into the goal.

That added to the lead given to them by a first-half penalty from Cole Palmer, increasingly influential in Pochettino’s revitalised attack following his move from Manchester City, who slotted home after William Saliba was adjudged to have handled from Mudryk’s header.

It was a commanding and deserved advantage for the hosts, who were seeking a third straight league win, but as so often during Chelsea’s turbulent last 18 months it was an individual error that turned the game and cost them points.

Goalkeeper Roert Sanchez rolled the ball straight to the feet of Declan Rice who cut the arrears from 30 yards, before Leandro Trossard got a lunging right leg to Bukayo Saka’s cross six minutes from time to salvage an unlikely draw.

And afterwards Arteta praised his team’s powers of recovery as they extended their unbeaten start to the league season to nine matches to go level at the top with Manchester City.

“I think what went wrong was the start of the game,” said the manager. “We didn’t play with enough purpose and clarity. We were just moving the ball without the intention to threaten them. That’s a really dangerous thing to do against teams like Chelsea.

“Then we didn’t win enough duels, and in tight areas when we had them, they escaped from that and they attacked open spaces, and they are really dangerous things to do.

“When we changed that and we changed the level after 20, 25 minutes, especially in the second half then it’s a different game. We became a much better team, even though we conceded the second goal and it’s a disappointment.

“The way the team reacted to the second goal is phenomenal from the players on the pitch and the players on the bench thinking ‘how the hell am I going to change this game?’ I loved that.

“I really liked as well going into the dressing room and it’s really quiet, after drawing 2-2 with Chelsea and coming back from 2-0 down, because I know that they wanted more. That’s the positive.”

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino reflected on perhaps Chelsea’s best performance since he took over in the summer, and refused to lay the blame at the feet of Sanchez for allowing Arsenal back into the match.

“Too many games that we’re watching every week, always mistakes,” he said. “Football is about mistakes. If you want to score, you want the opponent to make a mistake. Ninety per cent of goals are because the opponent made a mistake. Football is about mistakes.

“The only thing we can criticise a little bit is to read better the situation, the tempo and the timing. After 77 minutes, we’re trying to take some risks. OK, we can because it’s our philosophy. But maybe (we need) better decisions. So we can criticise a bit, but also this is football.

“It’s not to blame someone. It’s only that in this type of situation you need to read better, but that will arrive with time. Teams need to manage and drive games. You need to read the game, when to be calm, when to play, when to take risks.”

Arsenal stung Chelsea with a stunning late fightback as they came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Mikel Arteta’s side looked to be heading to a first defeat of the season when Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross-shot looped over David Raya minutes after the interval, adding to the lead given to them by Cole Palmer’s first-half penalty.

The visitors were far from their free-flowing best and Mauricio Pochettino’s side, inspired by the increasingly influential Palmer on the right of a front three, were for three-quarters of the game good value for what would have been a third straight league win.

But the pendulum swung when Robert Sanchez’s careless pass presented the ball to Declan Rice who cut the arrears, before Leandro Trossard stunned the home fans into silence with a close-range finish in the closing minutes to earn Arsenal a draw and move them level on points at the top of the Premier League.

For the first time under Pochettino, Chelsea started without a recognised striker, Raheem Sterling instead lining up centrally, flanked by in-form pair Palmer and Mudryk.

They took the lead after 14 minutes. Sterling crossed from the right into the six-yard box, and as William Saliba leapt with an arm raised, Mudryk’s header cannoned off it from close range. It took several minutes for referee Chris Kavanagh to be called to the pitchside monitor, but once checked there was little delay in awarding a penalty.

Palmer dispatched coolly past David Raya for his second Chelsea goal.

Arsenal had started sluggishly and it took until the 20-minute mark for their first opening, Martin Odegaard threading the ball into the left channel for Rice to stride onto, but his awkward right-footed effort clipped towards Sanchez’s far corner zipped wide of the post.

Palmer has been one of the catalysts of Chelsea’s sudden ascent to attacking potency under Pochettino, pulling strings whether collecting the ball deep or taking up a more advanced role. His impact was critical in consecutive wins against Brighton, Fulham and Burnley during which the team scored seven goals off the back of three scoreless matches, and here again he was the difference.

He had the chance to double the lead when Conor Gallagher, captain again with Reece James fit only for a late cameo, took the initiative and drove through the heart of Arsenal’s midfield, slipping the ball in to Palmer who found room in between Saliba and Gabriel to get off a low drive which flashed inches wide of Raya’s far post.

Chelsea might have pulled further clear in the closing minutes of the half, Sterling with a familiar burst down the right, slipping the ball to Malo Gusto who showed the finishing instincts of a full-back and ballooned over.

The second half began with a moment to forget for Arsenal goalkeeper Raya. Ben White gave the ball away to Gallagher inside the Chelsea half, and carrying the ball up the left flank he fed the overlapping Mudryk.

There seemed to be little on as the Ukrainian assessed options inside the box. Raya was positioned ready for a cross, but in doing so he left too much room behind him into which Mudryk’s ball drifted, sailing clean over the keeper, who flapped helplessly as it landed in the net.

Raya’s afternoon was going from bad to worse. Minutes after conceding, he was almost culpable for Chelsea’s third when he rolled the ball recklessly to the feet of Palmer who narrowly failed to nip around the goalkeeper and bury Arsenal.

Then, with Arteta’s side looking beaten, fortune turned in their favour. Rice hauled them back into it with 14 minutes to play and it was another goalkeeping error, this time from Sanchez.

Chelsea’s summer signing has repeatedly been culpable in recent games of conceding possession with poor distribution. Here, under little pressure, he passed the ball straight to the feet of Rice, who with quickness of thought thumped it first time from 30 yards beyond the stranded keeper.

Then the final sting for Pochettino.

Bukayo Saka was given time on the edge of the box to shift the ball from right foot to left, and with vision and precision, he picked out the run of Trossard who stole in behind Chelsea with a lunging right leg to divert it past Sanchez.